Trailer



Nov. 1, 1938. w. R. VBILLINGSLEY TRAILER Filed Feb. '12, 1938 i m r 1%,

ATTOR EY:

f Nov. 1, 1938.-

YTRAIPERI Fi led Feb. 12, 193s ,2 Sheets-Sh e et 2 w. R slLL lNs s Lr-iy2,135,097

3 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 1, 1 938 aiser 91 ."fTRAILE, it

RQQBiIIingsIeyQ Daytona Beach, Fla. x [I Application February 12,}1938,Serial No. 190.339 4 My invention relates-to improve k ers and moreparticularly to automatic brakeapplying mechanism adaptedfor'controlbyi-the action of'thefitow-car.

One of thetprincipal objects of my invention is to providea-brake.u-operatingxmechanismthat can be easily and expeditiouslyapplied totrailers V 'having'the twoorfour wheel brake systems Anotherobject ofmy invention is to provide a brake operating mechanism appliedto :"trailers whereby the same is automatically" operated, upon theaccidental disconnection of thetow car. A .still'further object of myinvention is'to "provide a brake operating mechanism that/is capable.of. car. Other objects and advantages will be'apparent from the.following description; appended claims .and annexed drawingsJ :Referringto the drawings-wherein .like reference characters" designate :likeparts throughout Fig.1 is. a top plan view Tor i vention mustrating itsapplication to a trailersattached'to a Fig. 2 is a section view on line2 -2 of Fig. 1. I Figj3 is alsection viewfonline 3-4. of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a modified form.

Fig. 5 is alongitudinal sectional view' of another modification. V a IFig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

In practicing my invention, particular reference being had to thepreferred embodiment ilings, there is illustrated a typical form oftrailer chassis I!) having securedtheretoan axle II on which ismountedwheels l2 provided with a typical form of hydraulic brake mechanism l3.

'I'he front of the chassis has secured thereto a draft bar in the formof an inverted U-shaped channel iron I 4 by means of a connecting member|5.; Positioned within said draftbar or mem; her is a cylinder I 6having a piston II operable therein by means of a connecting rod l8secured thereto. The cylinder I 6 is connected tothe. brake mechanism I!by means of a hose .con-' nection I9. Actuation of the piston in.unedirection will force liquid through the connection 19 for applyingthe brakes to the wheels and reverse movement will release the brakes;said parts being of a well known construction and operation. i

Pivoted on a shaft l9 within thedraft member M, at the front endthereof, is 9. depending arm merits trailoperation independent ofthe:tow' A naPin- I .to urge the, rod 18, -.to release'rthe brakes. 1- I -1I'he lowerforward endof thedraftvmernberis;

lustrated in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive of the draw i2ilpivot'allyconh'ectra at the lowen-endthereof to adraw barJZI secured to the towcarv 22. ,Sub-

jacent'the pivot connecting said arm to said draft member, there is.mounted a pivoted linlr. 23 pivotally' connected as at 24*to the outerend of -the connecting .rod 18. The'front end ,of; the

cylinder I6 is provided with a depending iflange plunger rod 21.. Theopposite end ofisaid'plunger rodais pivotally connected to the arm 20 bymeans ofjfa link 2B. A collar 29 is ,iriountedonis'aid :25having-fashioned thereon a bearing26-1for -slidably receiving.therethrough one endx of a plunger. rod 21 and movement .inone'direction .relative to the rod is limited by: a. .transv'erselyfcoil. p ng 3 i5- is 'mounted about said plunger rod and interposed:between the collar 29 and bearing 26,-the spring serving I through theconnected parts,

provided with a bufie'r 32 'secured withincthe channelby means of atransversely extending ,bracket 33, said buifer .serving to;,:limitr:and

movement. of .;the.' arm .-20. 1 Pull exerted on the draft. bar .21through the cushion the outward medium of the tow car 22.iwill cause thearm'20 to contactthe buffer 32 causing the :connecting "rod [8 topositionthe piston l'lgat the forward end of the. cylinder 16 therebyeffecting a release of the brake mechanism in relation to the wheels l2.a v Deceleration of the speed of the tow car22 will exert pressure onthe arm in an opposite direction causing the piston ll to be movedtowards the opposite-end of the cylinder, through the medium of'theconnected mechanism, and actuate the braking mechanism in the well knownmanner. g

The spring 3| functions together with the correlated parts to maintainthe' armin normal operating position and prevent the application of thebrakes-when the tow car and-trailer; are traveling over substantiallylevel grounddue to inequalities in the road surface. 3

The form illustrated in Fig. 4 comprises the depending arm 40 providedwith a ball shaped head 4| for engagement within a similar. shapedhinged sectional sleeve 42. A spring Dressed collar 43 is provided tonormally surround the hinge portions of the sleeve to maintain thesections in locked position about thehead. Downward movement of thecollar from about the sleeve will permit the sections'to be opened and athe. depending arm detached therefrom, thus providing an effective meansfor connecting and disconnecting the trailer from the tow car.

In the forms illustrated in Figures 5 and time connecting rod comprisessections ill and BI secured in spaced relation by an interiorpartitioned sleeve 52. The sleeve is formed with' an exterior collar 53for engagement with fingers 54 formed on the lower end of a lever "i Thelever 55 is pivoted to a support 56 and hasmounted thereon a pawl 51 forengagement withv teeth in a segmental rack bar 58 connected to support58. The support 56 and rack bar 58 are connected to the draft member bymeans of suitable nuts and bolts 59. The upperend of the lever I isprovided with a handle 60 formed with an eye SI for securingthereto-a.cable' -62. A suitable handpiece 63 is mounted on the leversubiacent the handle 60 and connected: to the pawl bymeans of a rod 64.V 5

Operation of the connecting rods 50 and El through the medium of thedepending arm will effect an operation of the piston within:v thecylinderin the same manner described in connection with the: formillustratedtin'Figures' 1 to 3 inclusive. However, pull exerted on thecable 62 will, through the medium of the collar 53, move thej sleeve andsection it towards the cylinder independentof the section 50: Operationof the device in this manner-is desirablein instances where. the tow carbecomes accidentally disconnected -from' the trailer, the opposite endof. the

cablebeing connected to the tow car will upon the. accidentaldisconnection of the tow car funcchanges and modiflcatio tio'n toapplythebrakes in the foregoing manner. I "When the trailer has'becomedisengagedfrom the: tow car, for instance during a camping period or:the like, the brakes'may be applied by means ofqmanual operation of thehandle 60. Release ofthe brakes may be obtained byopera- -tion:ofthehandpieae causing the disengagement of the pawl from the rackbar.

"It isto be distinctlyyumierstood t at various in constructionandarrangement of parts may departing from the spirit ofthe invention orscope or the appended claims. i

- Having described my invention, what I claim is:

be" resorted to without arm to said piston, means carried by saidcylinder and connectedhto said arm for normally urging said piston inbrake releasing position, and means secured to said draft memberadjacent said depending arm for limiting the movement of said arm. a

2. A trailer brake operating mechanism, com- 'prising,' in combination,a trailer chassis havinl wheels provided-with braking mechanism, a draftmember secured to the front end of said chassis having a brake operatingdevice including a piston 1 and acylinder connected to said brakingmechanism, a depending armconnected to said draft memberand-adaptedfli'or connection with a tow car,,means connecting said armto said piston whereby tormove saidj -piston inbrake apply'ingpositionupon pressure exerted on said arm by a towcar, and means connected tosaid arm and said cylinder whereby to position: said piston in brakereleasing positionduring the operation ,of a tow car ata constant-speed.

- 3. A trailer brake operating mechanism, comprising; incombination,--a'trailer chassis having wheels providedwith brakingmechanism, a draft 'member secured to thefront end of said chassisand-having a brake operating device, including a piston and a cylinderconnected to said brake mechanism,;a depending arm' pivoted said draftmember andadapted for connection with.

a tow car, a sectional .rod connected to said piston and-pivoted-rtosaid arm, a connecting member securingsaid sections together in spacedrelation, and means mounted on said draft memberfor operatingsaidvconnecting member in a manner to positionsaid pistoniin brakeapplying position independent of said depending arm.

